Method of preventing evaporation from concrete during curing



Io Drawing- '1 naxnamor woonnmnen, n nfw masav, assrenon'ro BARBER nsrmm comm, OF PEILA1 )ELPH was]! IA, PENNSYLVANIA, A conroiwrion or Q mop banana-m wmamoa FROM concan'rn mmme cuamef In modern cement concrete construction it is desirable to retard the evaporation of water from the concrete after it is placed and during the curing period-in order to 5 insure thorough hydration of the cement and thus' produce a concrete of maximum stren h. a

Hegetofore various methods of protectmg concrete during the curing period, especially in roadway and the like construction where the concrete has a large exposed surface, have'been used, for example, one well known method used in roadway and the hke con- "struction; involves the application of wet burlap to the exposed surface of the con-- crete immediately after finishing, the bnrlap being kept wet, as by sprmkling, until the concrete has set, or attained a rigidity such i as to withstand a substantial weight without 2 marring, after which the burlap-is removed a a pond of wateron and the surface covered'with earth, or straw,

which is maintained wet until the expiration r of the sti ulated curing period when the earth, 'or straw, is removed Another the spreading of tar on the surface of concrete. after the concrete has set, or attained a rigidity such as to enable workmen to walk on it without marring the surface. Still another method involves the provis on of dikes about the concrete for maintaining its surface untilit is 7 ready for use.

:The methods heretofore used for protecting concrete durin open to numerous 3 jections, more especially in that they involve substantial expense and are inefi'ective'in preventing the evaporation of water from the concrete during the cr1t1- cal period before the; concrete has set, or

the protection of, the' concrete is not at;

{tempted until substantially after the critical period has passed, as is evidenced,'for example, by the occurrence of hair cracking, which is avoided by the practice of the method according. to my invention.

I- have discovered that if cement'or ce--' Vment concrete be treated, after-it is finished,

i. e., smoothed off, or broomed if so finished,

and before it has set, i. e., before it will support a substantial weight,-such' as that I -of a man walking. on it, without marring, 'by-the formation on the exposed surface be found to durability and resistance to weathering asioo -are to be obtained. method, which has been attempted, involves during that period the curing period are i a uemoaaiea' October '12,- 1925. Serial m. 62,194.

thereof a water impervious film, which "referablywill adhere to the concrete, an the 55 concrete be then permitted to-set and cure without disturbance, the concrete will cure without; hair cracking and when cured will have greatly increased strength,

compared to concrete treated by the methods heretofore known.

In accordance with miyl hiln vention, apply the water impervious.

to the exposed surface of .cementorconcrete to .be cured 6 before it has set, by. which, as has been indicated, I mean. before the concrete has attained a condition of firmnessor rigidity such that it will support "a substantial weight without marring of the surface, as

for example, the wei on it. Preferably, t soon as practical after is laid and finished; applied before; the co cat'ed above, if the benefits ht of a man walking e film is applied as the cement or concrete however, it must be of my invention In accordance with my invention, the water impervious film, when applied before the to preventevaporation of water from the cement or concrete,'and especially from exposed surface thereof, or' to retain sufficient. or ginal water in the cement orconcrete,

cement or concrete has set, as indicated, acts 8 77? F., or native asphalt, dissolved-in a volaas tile petroleum-solvent may be used as the coating for this purpose.-- Such I a paint when apphed, for example at the rate of one gallon perlOO sq; ft.- -as soon as practical after pouring and'finishing of-the concrete, but in 100 has set, will any event before the concrete form a satisfactory protective impervious. film, and prevent evaporation of water from;

the concrete'during curing.

Ordinary hnsee'doil paintwill also form Q 108 a satisfactory impervious if applied crete has set, as indiin which the continuous 55 presence of requlsitewater' 1s essential for- I will give' the so sufiicient quantity after the superficial water has subsided after pouring and finishing of the concrete.

Still another method of practicing my inventiou, and one that is distinctly preferred ssesses further advantages. To the surace of wet unset concrete and preferably as soon as practical after laying and finishing I apply, as by means of a spray, a water-enternal-phase bituminous emulsion such as is often called in paving practice cold repair cement. Such emulsion possesses the property of breaking after a short exposure to t e air in consequence of the evaporation of the water, with the formation of a water impervious adherent film of bitumen on the surface of the concrete.

I have found that cement concrete which has thus been protected by the application thereto, when freshly placed, or before it has set, of a water impervious and preferably adherent filmcpossesses a remarkably higher tensile strength after curing or aging than is possessed by the same concrete not so treated. andthe occurrence of hair cracks is avoided.

Films of this character may be formed with great ease by applying the coating medium by means of a paint spray. In roadway construction a bituminous emulsion may be applied as soon as the surface is finlshed.

The cost of material and labor involved in this method of treating concrete is relatively low, in comparison with the cost of materials and maintenance in a moist condition by any other method of treatment, and

the results are not dependent upon the sub sequent care of the work after the film is once in place it being only necessary after the application of the film to permit the concrete to set and become sufficiently cured without disturbance of the body thereof.

When using the old methods, it is frequently impossible to keep concrete properly wetted for the requisite curing period, but with my new method the curingproceeds without interruption to completion. This is of particular advantage in road construction as construction traffic may be directed over the new concrete after say one week without interrupting the curing of same.

It is not necessary to cover the coated surface of a concrete roadway with sand or other surfacing material when the protective coating is applied at the rate of '1 gal. per 100 sq. ft. or in less quantity. It is however possible to apply a suflicient amount of bituminous protective coating followed at the completion of the curing period by theapplication of sand or stone chips to form a temporary protective wearing surface for the concrete during its early life or after the concrete has cured'any desired form of wear surface may be applied.

In cases where this method is used in connection with concrete construction which is afterward to be protected by membrane waterproofing or a. wear surface the protective bituminous coating applied in carrying out the method embodying my invention may serve as aprimer coat and will facilitate the application of the waterproofing or wear coat system.

Having thus described my invention, .I,

claim 1. The method of preventing evaporation of water from cement concrete during the curing period which consists in applying to the surface of the concrete before curing an adherent film impervious to water,

2. In the practice of the method described in claim 1 the use as the adherent film of a water-external-phase bituminous emulsion.

3. The method of preventing evaporation of water from the surface of a freshl laid cement concrete roadway which consists in spraying upon such surface, as soon as feasible after it is laid and before it has cured, a continuous bituminous film.

4. The method of preventing evaporation of water from the surface of a freshly laid concrete roadway which includes spraying upon such surface, before the concrete has set, a bituminous emulsion for the formation of an adherent water impervious bituminous film thereon.

5. The method of curing a concrete roadway which includes applying to the upper surface of a roadwa before the concrete.

has set, a coating 0 unheated bituminous paint-like material for the formation of a water impervious film thereon and permitting the concrete to cure.

6. The method of curing a concrete road way which includes applying to the upper surface of the roadway, before the concrete has set, a coating of unheated bituminous material for the formation of a water impervious film thereon and permitting the concrete to cure.

7. The method of curing cement which includes applying to an exposed surface of a moist, unset body of cement a coating of unheated p'aint-like material to form awater impervious film thereon adapted to prevent evaporation of water from the body and leaving the body to cure.

8. The method of curing a body of cement concrete having an exposed surface, which includes applying to the exposed surface of the concrete, cfore the concrete has set, an adherent film impervious to water and adapted to prevent substantial evaporation of water from the concrete during the curing period.

9. The method of curing a body of cement concrete having an exposed surface, which includes applym to the exposed surface of the concrete, be ore the concrete" has set, a water-external-phase bituminous emulsion 1 for the formation of an adherent water-impervious film on such surface and thereafter permitting the concrete to cure without sub stantial disturbance of the body thereof.

10. The method of curing a body of cement concrete having an exposed surface,

11. The methodof curing a body of cement concrete having -an exposed surfac'a' which consists in the application to the exposed surface substantially immediately after the subsidence of superficial water of a water-external phase bituminous emulsion for the formation of an adherent, waterimpervious film thereon and thereafter permitting the concrete to cure without substantial disturbance of the body of the concrete. In testimony whereof I have hereunto signed my name at Philadelphia, Pennsyl- 25 Vania, this 8th day of October, 1925.,

OLD 

